Your Son
by greenglassghost
Summary: A collection of one shots where Jack Frost is mistaken as North's son. Companion fic to "Your Father."
1. Your Son

Your Son

It had been a long time since North actually went in person to listen to children's wish lists. Perhaps a shopping mall had not been the best place to go start again. He loved the children, don't get him wrong. Many of them just seemed to be in foul tempers. Many of them were also lacking in manners and nearly got moved to the Naughty List for trying to pull off his beard or insisting that his hat was wrong. Then there were crying babies and irritable parents, and some people the mall had hired to pretend to be elves for whatever reason. His real elves were better help than these fake ones who were mildly intoxicated the whole day long!

But he had to admit it was fun, despite all that. The Guardian of Wonder had forgotten how precious each and every child could be in their own way. Even the ones with three yard long lists, or the mischievous ones who pulled on his beard were precious beyond measure. He didn't realize how much he'd missed this until he started doing it again. Then for the life of him, he couldn't figure out why he'd ever stopped.

Later in the day, he noticed something a bit strange start to happen, as more and more children spread through town the news that the real Santa Claus was at the mall that day. He'd already noticed that he'd had more requests than ever before for a white Christmas. Though controlling the weather was beyond his powers, he promised each child he would do his best to make them happy that year, same as he did to the children whose lists were so long that all the toys they wanted couldn't possibly fit inside their houses. But that was not the odd part. The odd part was not even when many of them actually asked him to ask Jack Frost to bring them a white Christmas this year.

No, the odd part was that an unusually large number of tweens showed up and started using sharpies to try to imitate his tattoos. Except instead of writing "Naughty" and "Nice" on their arms, they wrote "Team Jack Frost," or "Mrs. Jack Frost." Yeah. Very weird. And on their shirts too. North really did not understand it.

But the strangest thing of all happened right before the mall was about to close. North was right about to leave when one last boy dashed inside and skidded to a stop in front of him. His eyes were wide as he looked around as if expecting Santa to have brought presents with him that very day.

"Sorry kid. Santa's finished for the day," said the fake elf, slurring his words slightly.

"Not so! Santa has time for one more boy," insisted North, sitting back down and beckoning to the child.

The child scowled and continued looking around. "I don't want to talk to Santa."

"You . . . you don't?" asked North, very startled. Not one other child had said that to him today. Even the very young ones who would normally have been afraid of being placed on the lap of a stranger had come eagerly to the Guardian of Wonder, instinctively sensing that he was safe.

"No! I want to talk to your son!"

North stared at the boy dumbfounded. "My . . . my son?"

"Yeah! Your son! Where's Jack Frost?" demanded the boy.

"Jack Frost? My son?" asked North. He still wasn't able to quite believe what he'd just heard.

"Yeah. Where is he?"

"He . . . is not here. But . . . I could give him a message if you wish," offered North.

"Tell him I want lots of snowdays this year! Lots and lots of snow days! Okay?"

"Okay," agreed Santa.

"Yeah! All right!" The boy clapped his hands then ran off.

It was only after he was gone that North realized he'd never corrected the boy's mistake and let him know that Jack Frost wasn't actually his son.

* * *

Please also check out the companion fic to this one: "Your Father" which is written from Jack's POV, and shows more times when people mistake North for Jack's father.

And if you have any ideas for chapters you want to see, drop me a line. I'm taking requests :)


	2. Jumping Right In

Jumping Right In

North didn't know how Jack would react to learning so many people thought he was North's son. He wasn't even sure how he himself felt about that. There was no way he could predict how someone as unpredictable as Jack would react.

It troubled North. Because he knew it wouldn't stay secret for too long. It _couldn't_ stay secret for too long. Not if so many children believed it. And looking back he realized that many of the children whose Christmas wishes he'd listened to at the mall that day had come not just to see him but Jack Frost too. Probably more than that last little boy came only to see Jack.

North had to admit, it was a little irksome. But only a little. Jack had the makings of a fine Guardian. It was past time the world started to see that. And the world included him. He wondered how, for so long, he'd barely even known the first thing about Jack, let alone what a good person he was.

There was so much he still didn't know. Like who Jack had been before he'd become Jack Frost. Where he disappeared to during the summer months or when he wasn't stirring up trouble. And why the boy never wore shoes.

That last one was a mystery to all the Guardians. They were all a little afraid to ask Jack about it after he froze solid the two elves who'd tried putting shoes on his feet while he was napping at the pole one day, then flown off in a tiff. That had been about a month ago, and none of them had seen him since. And while it was a little worrisome, Jack had lived on his own for three hundred years. Though North would prefer to keep him closer at hand now that he was getting to know the boy, or at least trying to get to know him, he knew Jack would be fine on his own.

So it was a bit of a surprise when, in his workshop, a watery image flickered into the being in his workshop, like a hologram floating in midair. A pale woman in a samite dress, with her hair floating around her like she was underwater glared at North.

"North! You get down here right now and stop your son from drowning himself in my lake!"

North stared at the Lady of the Lake. "What?"

"You heard me! I don't really care if he wants to kill himself! I only care that he doesn't do it in my lake! He's making too much ice as it is! Now come get your son right now!"

The watery image popped like a bubble and for a couple seconds North just stood there.

"What?" he asked again, even though the Lady was gone.

But down to Britain he went, in his sleigh, at top speed, and in no time he was at the Lady's Lake. And sure enough, there was Jack Frost, bobbing in the water. Or more like flailing in the water. Splashing wildly, clearly with no idea how to stay afloat, telegraphing his distress with every movement.

North wasted no time diving right in to pull him out, heedless of the water's icy cold temperature. He snatched up the ice child in one arm and paddled to the shore, ignoring the spluttering sound of protest Jack made.

"North? What are you doing here?" Jack asked bewilderedly, though he clung to North tightly. He sounded mostly calm which was strange for someone who'd come so close to drowning.

"Lady of Lake called me and told me you were in trouble," North told him. He didn't mention that the Lady had thought Jack was trying to drown himself. He wasn't quite sure what was going on yet, but somehow didn't think that was the case.

Nor did he mention that the lady thought she was his son. North wasn't sure he wanted to be around when Jack found out about the rumors.

"Trouble? I wasn't in trouble!" scoffed Jack.

"You looked like you were in trouble from where I was seeing,"

"I wasn't causing trouble either!" Jack defended himself.

"No one said you were."

"I waited until the water was already cold and about to ice over on its own, I'll have you know!" he said defiantly.

They were at the shore now. North put Jack down, watching as the water dripping off the cold spirit quickly turned to ice.

"Well, what exactly were you doing?" North wanted to know.

"Teaching myself how to swim."

"What – Teaching yourself how to swim? Jack! Swimming is not something you teach yourself!" shouted North.

"Well how else was I supposed to learn?" shouted Jack right back.

"How? You ask someone who knows how to teach you, foolish child!"

"I'm not a foolish child!" Jack huffed angrily.

"You could have drowned! You were in the middle of drowning when I pulled you out!"

"No I wasn't! Wind plucks me out of the water every time!"

"Why do you suddenly want to learn how to swim anyway?" North asked. He was well aware that Jack had to make a great effort to tone down his powers if he wanted to actually submerge himself. Otherwise he'd end up floating on a sheet of ice."

Jack muttered something uncomprehensible.

"What was that?"

"I thought I might be afraid of water. Since I don't know how to swim. And so I thought it would be better to conquer that fear so Pitch can never use it against me," Jack said finally.

North stared at him, not sure what had brought this on. How Jack just thought he might be afraid of water, but didn't seem to know for sure . . . and how he jumped right into the water, running the risk of drowning to find out . . . Jack's logic simply did not make any sense to him. He sighed, realizing part of the problem. Jack hadn't known there was anyone he could turn to for help. He'd been alone for 300 years. He wasn't used to having people who could be there for him.

"Next time you want to learn something that's dangerous to learn on your own, come to me, Jack. I will help you."

Jack looked torn between being touched and being defiant and finally shrugged. "We'll see."

That was probably the best he'd get from the petulant boy at the moment.

"So, what else did you need?"

"What?"

"You came all this way to get to me, so there must be something you needed me for."

"I came here because I was told you were drowning, not because I have job for you."

"Oh." Jack's expression was hard to read.

"But now that I am here, we might as well talk business."

"Right."

"Lots of children are asking for a white Christmas this year. Something I cannot give them. Toys, yes, snow, not so much. Perhaps you would like to come along and ride in sleigh with me this year? You can bring some snowfall as we go. Then when we are finished, we can meet up with the other Guardians back at pole for Christmas Day!"

"Sorry. Pass."

North stared at him. "What?"

"I said I'll pass."

"But . . . sleigh ride! And bringing snow is your job!"

"Except people don't really like white Christmases. They just think they do, but then they complain about flights being canceled, and sidewalks needing to be shoveled, and time that they could spend with their family gets taken away. Besides, I've already got plans."

"Plans? Plans for Christmas?" North stammered.

"Yeah."

"But all of us Guardians gather together every year on Christmas day!" protested North.

"How could I possibly have known that?" Jack asked.

It was true . . . North couldn't remember bringing this up before now. How could he have forgotten? But worse than that . . . how many Christmases had Jack Frost spent alone?

"Well you are invited too. Please come. The others will all be there. We do this every year."

"Sorry, North, but I seriously already have plans. Uh, speaking of which, I need to get going. I, uh, well, see you later."

And in a gust of wind, Jack was gone.

* * *

Poor North. :( But trying to jump right into a familial relationship with a teen whose been alone for 300 years is only a slightly better idea than jumping right into a large body of water to teach yourself how to swim.

Chapter 5 of "Your Father" details what Jack's plans for Christmas are. Of course they're about to get derailed in future chapters, so who knows, maybe Jack will end up home for Christmas with North afterall.


	3. Scorched (North's POV)

(this chapter skips ahead almost 1 year into the future. It's North's side of the story for Chapter 2 of "Your Father.")

* * *

Scorched (North's POV)

North was working when he got Smokey's message. He paid no attention to the little whisps of smoke in the air until they formed an image and started talking.

"North. North, are you there?"

North looked up and frowned at the image of the bear wearing a forest ranger's hat. "Hello. Who are you?"

"Smokey Bear. Spirit of Forest Fire Prevention."

"I see. How can I help you, Mr. Spirit of Forest Fire Prevention?" asked North, trying to be patient.

"No, I don't need anymore help right now. Your son already helped me out."

"My son? I take it you mean Jack Frost, yes?" North asked. Since last November, more and more people were coming to believe that Jack Frost and Santa were related.

It had been confusing at first – how North felt about that, I mean. It was understandable how they'd come to the conclusion that Jack was North's son. The resemblance they bore to one another was more than just passing. They both had white hair, but dark eyebrows, even though North's hair had some silver in it. And they both had bright blue eyes. Both Guardians were associated with winter which seemed to make everyone think Jack lived at the North Pole with North. The truth of that was North had offered Jack a home there, but Jack had declined. He had spent 300 years roaming the earth, coming and going as he pleased, and not having any other people in his life. Gradually, he was accepting the Guardians as true friends. Perhaps in time he would come to see them as family.

It hadn't taken North very long to realize that he didn't mind people thinking Jack was his son. A child of his own . . . that was a dream of his that had so very died long ago. Before he became immortal, in fact. It had been a hard one to let go of, but when he had, he'd buried it and left it in peace. Until now. The very idea of taking in Jack, an immortal child who'd been gifted to him and the other Guardians by the Man in the Moon himself, was enough to take North's breath away. Right now there was very little he would not have traded to have Jack feel the same way.

But he did not know how Jack felt about being mistaken as North's son. And North knew that it had happened to him at least once. Probably more than once. He worried that it bothered Jack. Certainly, the one time he'd been mistaken for North's son that North knew of had inconvenienced him greatly. The memory of the fiasco that last Christmas Eve had nearly turned into still made North shudder. He worried that Jack's association with him might inconvenience the boy even more in the coming years. North had no shortage of enemies amongst the world's immortals. He dreaded the day came that another of his old enemies tried to settle their score by using Jack.

But North still had not done much to silence the rumors of those who whispered Jack Frost was his son. He told himself it was because he worried the boy would learn that he'd blatently denied being his father, and would be hurt, but if he was honest with himself, he wasn't denying the rumors because he liked the idea too much.

"Yes, sir. Frost is here. That's one fine boy, you raised, North. He helped me put out a huge blaze this afternoon, but I think he overreached just a tad. Indian summer, you know. And smoke inhalation."

North held up a hand stopping Smokey. "Are you telling me that Jack is injured?"

"Not injured, per say. Unless you consider smoke inhalation an injury, which some people do. And possible dehydration, he's got that too. Exhaustion seems to be the big thing now for him, but he may have had a heat stroke too."

North had heard enough. He pulled out his snow globe and shook it, bypassing the tooth, egg, and sand castle icons until the blue snowflake that represented Jack appeared. He tossed it then strode through the portal into what appeared to be a cave.

Jack was laying on a bed of leaves, his face flushed and his eyes closed when North approached. His breathing was labored and his chest made a slight rattling sound with every breath he took. It sounded painful. And North felt a pain begin growing in his own chest, looking on Jack like this.

"Could you come pick him up? Oh, you're here already!" Smokey looked surprised by North's sudden arrival.

"How long has he been like this?" demanded North.

"Since I found him . . . about half an hour ago. But it took me awhile to find him –"

"How long is awhile?"

"Well, it's been a couple hours since we got the fire out."

"Hours? He's been like this for hours?!"

"I got him back here and out of the heat as soon as I could! And I started looking for him as soon as I knew the forest wasn't going to turn into an inferno again!"

"But it took you hours to find him? Hours? Why did you not call for someone to help look?"

"I sent out a call to every immortal in the Continental US for help when I realized this fire was in danger of burning down an entire town! The only one who answered was Frost! If the threat of a town being burnt to ash wasn't enough to get other people to come out and help, I doubted anyone else would have roused themselves just to come find one misplaced winter spirit who might or might not have actually been in any danger!"

Smokey had a point. North didn't care. Seeing Jack like this angered him. And knowing Jack had been like this for hours . . . that tore at his heart.

He crouched beside the boy, the leaves he was laying on crinkling under his weight.

"Jack? Jack? Can you hear me, Jack?" He let his hand rest on Jack's brow and was not pleased to find that the boy was warm to the touch. For him that had to be a blistering fever.

Jack moaned in pain but didn't open his eyes. They fluttered slightly, like he might have been thinking about it, but then stopped, as though he'd drifted off again.

"Jack?" asked North again, smoothing back his snowy hair that was now stiff with sweat and soot.

"Father?" asked Jack groggily.

North jerked in surprise at hearing Jack call him that.

"Father?!" Jack cried out again, and his eyes shot open. His hands twitched, like he was trying to move them and reach for something, but then fell weakly back onto the bed of leaves. North could only stare at him in surprise, even though he knew he should have been saying something or doing something.

Jack stared right back at him through feverish eyes. Like he didn't seem to understand what was going on. Confusion creased his features. Then he groaned, a pained look crossing his face.

"Are you alright, Jack?" North asked. A stupid question. That groan had clearly been one of pain.

Jack made a sound like a kitten mewling, then closed his eyes again. North watched in growing concern as one tear spilled out of each eye and rolled down the side of his face. He had only seen Jack shed tears once before, and on that occasion his tears had fallen from his eyes like beads of ice.

North put his hand back on Jack's brow and smoothed back his hair again. "Jack?"

"'m awright. Jus' over heat'd," Jack said, slurring his words slightly.

"Come. I take you back to North Pole where it is nice and cool." He slid one of his arms under Jack's back, and the other underneath his knees then lifted him bridal style, leaning the boy against his chest. Jack shuddered slightly as his head came to rest against North's shoulder and North felt a tug at his heartstrings. Was this what it really felt like to be a father? To have a son? To hold his son when he was hurt?

If so it was much harder than North had ever imagined, but also much more wonderful. As he walked back through the portal to Santoff Clausen, he found himself wishing that Jack actually was . . . no, it was wrong to wish that. He knew it was. Jack had had a family once. Even though he only had very vague memories of them they had existed. It was wrong to wish away their existence for his personal desires. He knew Jack wouldn't appreciate it.

Back at the North Pole he immediately took Jack outside. Tucking him into a bed with blankets, with hot chocolate to drink may have been the right treatment for a normal boy, which Jack was not. Warmth was the problem right now. Cold was the solution.

He layed Jack down on a snowbank and was about to start piling snow overtop the boy's frail body, but the wind beat him to it. A gust stirred up millions of snowflakes from where they'd previously fallen and repositioned them overtop Jack Frost like a blanket.

"Thank you," whispered North to the wind. Before that moment, he'd never actually understood Jack's insistence on personifying the wind and insisting it was his friend, but now it seemed that there was something to it.

The wind whistled in reply and North saw a few more snowflakes swirl in the air around Jack's face, brushing against his cheek like a caring friend's caress. Then the wind was gone and it was silent. North puzzled over that for a little bit, finally deciding that the wind must have withdrawn so as not to accidentally remove the snow off of Jack.

He sat beside Jack for a long time, waiting for the boy to recover. Before he'd been outside too long one of the yetis brought him his hat and coat so that he didn't freeze while waiting for some sign of improvement.

He smiled when he saw the red flush creep out of Jack's skin and his usual pale pallor began to return. His heart grew lighter when he heard how Jack's breathing grew more steadied and he no longer sounded like he was in pain with every breath he took. And he wondered if this was what it was like to be a father, sitting by his son's bedside.

He didn't know how Jack would feel about those thoughts . . . but since Jack was not privy to his thoughts it was a mute point anyway. So he thought it would be alright to pretend . . . just for a few minutes.

* * *

For Apostrophia, Grecia 427, Zarz, and anyone else who asked to see Scorched from North's POV


	4. Home For Christmas?

(takes place several days after "Jumping Right In")

Home For Christmas?

North wasn't sure what Bunny was doing there or when he'd gotten there . . . or how many glasses of eggnog he'd drunk. Or why Bunny was trying to get him to stop anyway.

"Just one more!"

"You've had enough, North! Sweet eggies in a basket, what's gotten into you, mate? It's December! Your busiest month of the year!" said Bunny, pulling North's eggnog away.

"I know that, but I'm entitled to a bit of comisseration!" said North, trying to snatch his glass back.

"And why's that?"

"My son isn't going to be home for Christmas!"

"Your what? When the heck did you acquire one of those? W-wait, you're not talking about Frostbite, are ya?" asked Bunny sounded shaken.

"Jack Frost! He grew up so fast!" North sobbed.

"Alright, I take it you've heard those ridiculous rumors going around too. But you do know Jack isn't actually your son, don't you North? North?!" Bunny looked like he was about to start panicking.

"I know! But he could be! He's got my eyes! And my eyebrows! And my hair!"

Bunny sighed. "He looks like you, I'll give you that, but he's not your son. But wait, what's this about him skipping out on Christmas?"

"He says he has plans," North told the rabbit.

"But the Guardians always celebrate together!" protested Bunny.

"But he did not know that, and made other arrangements," North said.

Bunny scoffed. "Like heck he did. I bet the little brat just wanted to stir up some drama. He'll probably come crawling around Christmas day, being all like, 'My other plans fell through, so I guess you guys will do as a last resort.' I mean, what else could he possibly have going on? Who else would want the little rotten egg around?"

"Icemas Grubuv," said a passing yeti, causing North to sit up a bit straighter.

"What? What is this Icemas you speak of?"

"What?" asked Bunny.

"Not you, Hubert," North told him.

The yeti's name is Hubert? thought Bunny, as the yeti started talking.

"The cold spirits have their own celebration? In Antarctica? Every year? That's why Frosty hasn't been around the past few years? Even the Little Match Girl?"

"Say what now?" asked Bunny.

North finally turned back to him, looking considerably more sober. "Hubert says that all of earth's cold spirits have their own Christmas celebration in Antarctica every year. They were all tired of being left out or shunned by the other immortals from their own parts of the earth, and Jack started bringing them altogether every year for the past thirty or so years."

"Oh. Well that's . . . kind of depressing, actually. But he's got an invitation to our celebration now! What's he want to hang around those creepers for?" Bunny asked.

Hubert said something very loudly and angrily and North held up his hands to placate the yeti.

"Hubert says those creepers are his and Jack's friends, and who are you to judge their celebration without ever having seen it. He says they make a huge tree out of ice every year and decorate it with ice sculpted ornaments. And that the main event each year is Yuki-Onna and Snegurochka slush wrestling to try to win Jack's attention. Haha! My boy! Such a ladies man!"

"You do know he's not really your boy, don't you North?" reminded Bunny.

North's shoulders slouched, making Bunny feel like he'd just suckerpunched his oldest friend.

"Hey, I don't mean to be mean, but it's a fact, North. There's no blood tie between Jack Frost and any of us."

"I know, I know, but . . . but it just feels like there could be. Like he could be the son I never had. Or at least . . . at least like he could have been, had I realized it sooner," sighed North. Over the past few days, since the idea had first been planted in his head by that child in the mall, and since his run in with Jack, and Jack's subsequent rejection of his Christmas invitation, countless memories had been running through North's head, memories of Jack Frost before the Man in the Moon had chosen him to become a Guardian.

Remembering them, North couldn't blame Jack for thinking that nothing special would be happening this Christmas between him and the other Guardians. North recalled seeing the winter spirit watching him as he delivered toys many years, but never once receiving one for himself. He'd always been on the Naughty List. In later years, North remembered how Jack had pointedly not even looked in his direction when they crossed paths, while North was out leaving gifts for children. The last time he'd seen Jack Frost on a Christmas Eve had been a little over thirty years ago, so probably right before the Icemas tradition was begun. Jack had been in Burgess, his usual haunt, looking in on a particularly large family's Christmas party.

How many Christmases had Jack spent alone? Watching through windows but never being a part of the Christmas cheer? And could North really begrudge Jack for finding a way to banish his loneliness during the holidays, even if it meant he couldn't spend Christmas with the boy?

"And here I was planning on teasing you like crazy about how many people think Frost's your son," muttered Bunny.

"Would that he were," North muttered.

"You seriously wish he was that much? Or is this the eggnog talking?" Bunny asked.

"Nevermind. It makes no matter. He is not my son. He's just . . . a work colleague, I guess. Someone who I don't even spend Christmas with."

Bunny gave him an awkward pat on the shoulder. "Come on, buck up, mate. It's not too late for a Christmas miracle. Maybe he'll end up celebrating here with us after all."

* * *

Sorry if North's a little ooc. He was brooding on Jack rejecting his offer then drank a little too much eggnog, so the yetis got worried and called Bunny to sort him out. North's starting to realize just how badly he wants Jack to be his son, but hasn't yet realized becoming a family is a gradual process. It's kind of funny I think, how he has to be the patient one for once. Usually it's kids or fans who get all upset and impatient because they want something IMMEDIATELY! But this time it's Santa.


	5. False Summons

False Summons

To say that North was surprised when his friends began arriving on the 21st of December, only several days before Christmas Eve, his busiest night of the year, would be to understate it.

"We saw the lights! We came as fast as we could! What's the emergency?" asked Tooth immediately upon her arrival.

"This must be big for you to call us all here just three days before Christmas," Bunny said looking wary and ready for a fight.

Sandy charged in wearing an army helmet made of dreamsand, and holding two sand machineguns.

"I did not call a meeting!" North insisted.

"But we saw the lights!" Tooth argued.

"And it was no natural aurora, I know that for a fact," Bunny added.

Sandy nodded but dissolved his sand machineguns and helmet.

North led them to the Globe room where his signal was very clearly not on. "You see! It's off! I called no meeting! It would take a great catastrophe for me to do so now. I'm so busy!"

"So, you think this was a joke or something? Someone trying to get the four of us together?" asked Bunny.

"You mean the five of us," Tooth corrected.

Sandy conjured up a snowflake to signify Jack Frost.

"Right. The five of us. Hey, you don't think this is his doing, do you? He likes playing tricks," said Bunny.

"No, Jack wouldn't do something like that now. Not with Christmas only a few days away," said Tooth.

Sandy waved his hands to get everyone's attention and conjured up a television. He then manipulated his dreamsand snowflake so that it was inside the TV.

"Jack's on TV?" asked Bunny.

Sandy nodded vigorously.

"My friends, I must be getting back to work," North protested as the others crowded him toward his television set.

"We need to get to the bottom of this fake summons is what we need to do," said Bunny.

"If Jack's on TV, maybe there's some kind of clue," suggested Tooth.

"Jack would not play a prank to get us all together! He knows how serious crying wolf can be," North defended the boy, even though he was not in the greatest mood and wanted to get back to work.

Still, they turned on the TV and didn't even have to change the channel to find out what Sandy had been talking about.

A news anchor was reporting from somewhere in Honduras about a freak snowstorm having hit the capitol. They were showing a piece of footage taken earlier during the day. In it, children were running about in the background, playing in snow. It was likely the first time most of them had ever seen snow in their lives. None of them were throwing snowballs – yet. But the reporter on site kept getting pelted by them. They must have taken it to be a natural part of a snowstorm because they weren't even looking for the perpetrators, not that they were likely to be able to see them even if they were. Jack flew by a young girl-child spirit and tapped his staff on the ground, restocking her supply of ammo, then floated overhead and started lobbing snowballs at the newscaster too.

"Snow day!" he shouted.

"There's Jack . . . and who is that with him?" asked Tooth.

Sandy made a matchstick out of dreamsand above his head, but North had known the answer even without it.

"That is Little Match Girl."

Suddenly a huge pile of snow dropped down on top of the reporter, knocking him off his feet and half burying him.

"Did somebody order a Ragnarok?" Loki asked dropping down off his six-legged horse right in front of the camera.

"What . . . what are they doing? Cold spirits aren't supposed to be there," said Bunny.

Sandy conjured up an image of the Mayan Calendar.

"I agree. They must be pranking the old Mayan gods," said North.

"Well, they were kind of asking for it, with all their doom and gloom and the world's going to end because our calendar is up," said Tooth.

"I don't see what this has to do with the summons though," Bunny pointed out.

"Perhaps it's just a malfunction. I'll check the aurora system after Christmas is over, but for now I need to get back to work," said North. He turned to go back to his workshop, but a sudden bleating noise made him freeze in his tracks.

He turned slowly and saw it. A small goat toy, made of wood and real goat fur. A very particular goat's fur, in fact. North's old one-time friend the Yule Goat, whose back he used to ride upon to deliver Christmas presents, back before the old goat got reluctant and North realized he needed a more effective ride to deliver so many gifts anyway. He hadn't seen the Yule Goat in several hundred years, even though they had parted on amiable terms . . . more or less.

"What is this?" he asked as he saw a scroll tucked inside the goat toy's mouth.

"You tell us. What is that?" demanded Bunny.

"That's a creepy looking toy, North, are you sure the kids will like it?"

"It's not one of mine. It's from the Yule Goat." North bent down to take the scroll from the toy's mouth. Then, right as he stood up, the toy exploded.

All four Guardians present were blown backwards by the explosion, but quickly got back up, ready for a fight. Fortunately for the goat toy, it had been completely blown apart, and trying to beat up its remaining parts would have been akin to beating a dead horse.

"Alright, what the heck was that?!" demanded Bunny.

"I don't know! I don't know why the Yule Goat would suddenly decide to send exploding toy to my workshop, and so close to Christmas Even no less! Next time I see him, I turn him into mutton!" shouted North, very angry now.

"Sheep are mutton, not goats, North."

"The scroll – what does it say?" asked Tooth.

North tore it open, thinking that the Yule Goat had better have one darn good explanation for sending an exploding goat toy to his workshop. But as he unrolled the scroll, a scrap of indigo colored fabric fluttered to the floor. "What is that?"

Sandy picked it up then his eyes widened and he waved his arms in alarm. A snowflake formed above his head.

"Isn't that a scrap of Jack's hoodie?" asked Bunny.

"Why would the Yule Goat bite off part of Jack's hoodie and send it to you?" asked Tooth, flitting overhead so that she could read the actual scroll over North's shoulder. A gasp escaped her lips as she took in the words.

NORTH

I HAVE YOUR SON. IF YOU EVER WANT TO SEE HIM ALIVE AGAIN YOU WILL MEET ME AT THE OLD STABLE. ON CHRISTMAS EVE. COME ALONE.

* * *

an: This would be a great part for a Red Lantern Ring to come flying in and being like, "Nicholas St. North. You have great rage in your heart. Welcome to the Red Lantern Corps." Then the Yule Goat would literally be toast (because Red Lanterns spit flammable blood all over their enemies and burn them alive). But I have something else planned instead. Stay tuned! :)


	6. Kidnapped (North's POV)

Kidnapped (North's POV)

NORTH

I HAVE YOUR SON. IF YOU EVER WANT TO SEE HIM ALIVE AGAIN YOU WILL MEET ME AT THE OLD STABLE. ON CHRISTMAS EVE. COME ALONE.

The words made North see red. The Yule Goat had gone too far! He'd gone so far beyond too far that it was inexcusable! To try to get back at him for some grudge or slight was one thing. To drag Jack into this and kidnap him was something else completely!

North ignored the fact that Jack was not actually his son. That wasn't relative at the moment, since Yule Goat thought Jack was his son . . . and since North had started seeing Jack as his own son.

Honestly, he didn't know how Jack would react to finding out people thought this. Probably with anger. Possibly with violence. In fact, violence was probable too, if he could manage to inflict it on the Yule Goat, but that might just be for kidnapping him, and not specifically for mistaking him for North's son. But North could understand it if Jack was angry about that too. North had never even given him so much as a Christmas gift in his immortal life. They'd never even spoken before Manny picked Jack as the newest Guardian. North could see why it might make Jack angry if people thought he was Jack's father, given their situation.

But that aside, kidnapping Jack was still unacceptable. North could barely think straight he was so angry at the Yule Goat.

"I'm going to skin him like a rat!" shouted North, storming toward his sleigh's garage.

"North, wait!"

"Like a rat!" the Cossack shouted again.

"I'm coming too! No one messes with Frostbite but me!" declared Bunny, hopping right alongside North. Sandy followed too, punching one closed fist into his other hand, a dangerous look on his face.

"But North, the note says to meet him at the stable on Christmas Eve. Which means he's taking Jack there on Christmas Eve. They won't be there now. Or do you know where he is now?" Tooth asked hopefully.

"Hah! They are at stable now," North said with certainty.

"How do you know, mate?" asked Bunny.

"Because Yule Goat is a cursed fool! And soon he will be a cursed fool with no head!"

"You said it!" Bunny agreed.

"Well then, what are we waiting for?" asked Tooth.

* * *

They took the sleigh to the old stable where the Yule Goat lived. It didn't take long. By the time they got there, they still hadn't even decided on a plan of action.

"I say we crash in through the roof!" said Tooth. Sandy nodded and cracked his knuckles, backing her up.

"No, mate, we gotta be stealthy. Taking one of my tunnels up is the best way to go!"

"Ba! We bust down door, plain and simple!" North shouted.

"Like he's not going to be expecting you to do just that!"

"He won't! Yule Goat has sock for brains! He expects us to come on Christmas Eve like he says! It will never occur to that fool that we would come immediately!"

"Are you sure? Maybe that's exactly what he's expecting you to think!" said Bunny.

"Maybe if he has spontaneously developed something like intelligence. Which he hasn't. Yule Goat is simpleton! If he makes plan, he expects everything to happen according to plan! No backup plan!" said North as he pulled the sleigh up in front of the barn.

"So, if we use my tunnels," Bunny started to say as he hopped out of the but stopped talking abruptly as a chilling sound filled the air.

Jack's voice was unmistakable, as was the pain in his cry. All arguments about how to get in went out the window, and all four of the older Guardians charged the doors at once.

Before they reached the doors, another cry resounded. An unfamiliar, inhumane cry that North could not even begin to guess what made it. "MREOUWWWW!"

North crashed into the doors with enough force to knock them from their hinges. He charged right in overtop of them as they pounded into the ground, his swords at the ready.

Then he just stopped and stared.

The Yule Goat was there, yes, but he was already being mauled by a strange cat-like creature with a very long forked tail. North spotted Jack making a mad dash toward his staff where it stood in the corner. Jack snatched it up and spun around to face them, but then a smile spread across his face as he realized that it was them.

Then he looked back at the Yule Goat, and the creature that was tearing into it.

"Move, Crazy Cat!" he shouted. Instantly, the frenzied feline leapt out of the way, and Jack sent a stream of frostlight at the Yule Goat, encasing it completely in ice.

Then he laughed and leaned on his staff, looking tired, but elated, like this was the funniest thing he'd seen in a very long time. The cat-thing slunk up beside him, rubbing its head against his knees and purring, and Jack bent down to scratch its head before turning to his friends.

"Oh hi. You missed the party."

North found that his voice had left him between the shock of seeing that crazy cat attacking the Yule Goat and the relief he felt knowing Jack was okay.

"You alright there, Frostbite?" Bunny asked.

"Yeah. I'm good."

"Well, I'm glad to hear that. Just tell me one thing. What the bloody heck is that?" demanded Bunny, pointing his boomerang at the cat-thing.

The cat noticed his tone and bristled, arching its back and jumping in front of Jack to hiss at Bunny.

"Whoa, easy, Crazy Cat." Jack knelt down and picked the cat up, cradling it in his arms.

The cat nuzzled against his chin then gave the Guardians the smuggest look.

"This is Crazy Cat. He's a nekomata, and my friend," Jack said, resting his chin on top of Crazy Cat's head as the nekomata continued to give the Guardians a smug cat grin.

"Jack . . . nekomata . . . they're demons. They don't make good pets," said Tooth, looking at him oddly.

"He's not a pet. Not really. He's my friend," said Jack.

"Jack . . . maybe you should put it down," North suggested. He wasn't thrilled by the idea of Jack holding a cat demon.

"Maybe you shouldn't judge my friends. I mean, I just met your old friend, and he's a few sugar plums short of a fruitcake." Jack looked meaningfully at the Yule Goat, who was still encased in ice.

North sighed. "I'm sorry, Jack. He was my friend once. I did not know he harbored a grudge against me. And I never dreamed anyone would try to take revenge on me through you."

"Eh, it's not a big deal. I mean, it was annoying, but nothing I couldn't handle, especially with Crazy Cat's help. Best cat ever," said Jack. In his arms Crazy Cat purred loudly.

North swallowed his pride and addressed the nekomata. "Thank you, Crazy Cat, for coming to help Jack."

"Yes, thank you," agreed Tooth.

Sandy bowed deeply to the cat.

"You don't seriously expect me to thank that fleaball, do you?" Bunny asked looking disgruntled.

At the word "fleaball" Crazy Cat yowled and leapt out of Jack's arms. He charged Bunny, claws flailing, and Bunny reacted like most rabbits would in the position. He jumped. Then he ran.

"Get this bugger off me!"

"Crazy Cat, stop! Darn it, Bunny, you shouldn't have called him a fleaball! He hates that!" Jack shouted.

"Get it away! Get it away!"

"Crazy Cat, stop! Crazy Cat, come back here! Please, come back here?"

North couldn't help laughing as Bunny ran, followed by Crazy Cat, who in turn was followed by Jack, who had started flying after it.

"So, um, not to be a downer or anything, but the situation here seems pretty well taken care of, and you do have your job to get back to, North," Tooth reminded him.

"Right. Bunny, stop playing with cat!"

"Get this Tasmanian tiger away from me!"

"Crazy Cat! Crazy Cat, come on, stop!"

"Sandy? Can you do something?" asked North.

Sandy nodded and tossed a ball of dreamsand. It exploded over Bunny, sending both Bunny and Crazy Cat to sleep. Jack only narrowly avoided being sent to sleep too, by dodging sharply.

"Well, that's one way to take care of the problem," said the immortal teen, laughing as he watched Crazy Cat's dream of chasing fluffy bunnies.

North put a hand on Jack's shoulder, making him jump. "Jack . . . I am sorry for this happening. Please believe me –"

"I believe you, North. I'm not mad, it's not your fault. That goat thing is clearly a lunatic," Jack said. He grinned at North, then his expression suddenly changed, growing stunned, as if he'd just realized something.

"What is wrong?" North asked.

"I . . . it's right before Christmas. You stopped what you were doing . . . right before Christmas . . . and came to try and help me?" Jack asked, staring up at North wide eyed.

"Of course. You are part of family now."

Jack just stared at him and North wondered if he'd said the wrong thing. But then Jack reached up with his own hand and touched North's hand, which still rested on his shoulder.

"Umm . . . so I've kind of got something to do now . . . and for the next few days . . . but if the offer's still open . . . I could, you know, meet up with you on Christmas Eve and help you give the kids a white Christmas. Then . . . go back to the pole for a few hours and chill with you guys. But only if you want me to. If you changed your mind –"

"Nothing would make me happier," North said quickly.

A smile lit Jack's face and he looked so happy that it actually made North's heart ache for a moment. He wondered if this was how real fathers felt, seeing their sons so happy and knowing they had put that smile on their face.

* * *

I doubt I'll be able to update again before tomorrow's up, so I'll say it now: Merry Christmas everyone! Or Happy Holidays if you celebrate something other than Christmas!


End file.
